Under the Oak Tree

285 Chapter It had taken Maxi all her courage to tell him how she felt. Despite that, Riftan did not respond for a long time. When she glanced up, her eyes full of hesitation, she caught him staring at her with an intense look. He dropped his gaze to the coin resting on her bosom a second later.

She tensed, worried that he might try to take it from her again, but all he did was touch it before lowering his hand to brush one of her many bruises. To her great mortification, her stomach chose that moment to growl. Riftan’s face darkened as he stroked the bruise on her side.

“I can’t say I’m happy about all this, even as a lie.”

Maxi recoiled. In an instant, the fire that had been burning in his eyes vanished, leaving only a cold emptiness.

“This is the second time you almost died before my eyes,” he said slowly. “And now you’re hungry and cold, covered in bruises in a dingy cave. I didn’t want to do that with you here, of all places.”

Maxi could feel her face heating up. For a moment, she felt irresponsible and senseless for seducing him under their present circumstances. His irritation was understandable. After his rescue efforts had led them to this dreadful situation, all she had done was babble about how happy she was.

“I-I just…”

Her actions might have been ill-considered, but at that moment, she had desperately needed his warmth. She was about to tell him so when he rummaged through her bag for the bundle of food. He held out the leftover cheese and half a loaf of bread.

“You should get something in your stomach first.”

Maxi wordlessly stared down at the hard bread. Only then did more practical concerns begin to fill her head. How long would the blizzard last? There was no way of knowing when they would be able to reunite with the others. Hunting was impossible in this desolate land, and the only food inside her bag was the lunch she had packed for the day: a loaf, bits of cheese, and a palm-sized chunk of bacon. It was nowhere near enough to sustain two people over days.

“I-I’m not that hungry.”

Riftan narrowed his eyes at her blatant lie. Extracting a dagger from his sword belt on the ground, he sliced a small piece of bread and brought it to her lips.

“Eat, even if you don’t have an appetite. You won’t be able to replenish your energy if you starve.”

“You eat first. I-I will as well later.”

Riftan’s face twisted into a scowl. “Stop this foolishness. I can last without food for days, but you can’t.”

Though she directed a glower at him, she could not withstand his stubborn insistence. She opened her mouth, accepting the bread. It was stale and crumbly, and it felt like chewing sawdust. She shook her head after three morsels.

“I-I’ve had enough now.”

Riftan furrowed his brow and stared down at her. Evidently concluding it would be better to conserve provisions, he placed the remaining bread inside the bag with a heavy sigh. Soon, the combination of food in her stomach — albeit only a few morsels — and accumulated fatigue brought another wave of drowsiness. She rested her head on his chest and began to nod off.

Holding her in his arms, Riftan lay on the clothes spread over the ground. He made sure to tuck the remaining garments around her. Lying on top of him, Maxi slipped into a light sleep.

Even as she dozed, she felt his manhood swell with desire. He shifted her legs away from his lower body and began to pat her back gently. Knowing how hard this was for him, she strove not to arouse him further.

Snow continued to fall without any sign of stopping, and it was difficult to gauge the passage of time. Riftan had gotten dressed twice to clear the snow from the cave entrance, and they were already on their fourth magic stone.

Thankfully, all her clothes except her robe were dry. She donned her woolen tunic over two chemises, then pulled her thick leather trousers over leggings. Lastly, she slipped into her long boots and coat.

Riftan had already finished securing his armor when she finished bundling herself. “Are you ready?”

When she nodded, he ducked down and left the cave first. Maxi hurried after him, poking her head out into the pale, snow-covered world.

Though thick snowflakes still danced in flurries, the wind had indeed calmed. Pulling her hood over her head, Maxi scanned the stark white hill that shimmered and stung her eyes. The snow was piled to her knees, and hazy clouds obscured the sky. Even so, it was blinding after the gloom of the cave.

“Stay close behind me.”

With that, Riftan began to wade ahead through the snow, carving a path for her. Maxi looked up and meekly walked behind him. The rock face was so high that the top was difficult to see. Just how far had they fallen? She could not even estimate their current distance from the spot they had landed.

At the time, her only concern had been finding shelter from the snowstorm. She suddenly grew anxious. What if the expeditionary party thought them dead and gave up the search? She shook her head, driving the thoughts from her mind. That was impossible. The others would not give up on them that easily.

She mustered her energy and marched after Riftan. The hunger and cold soon took hold. In an effort to bulk up the bread porridge, she had added as much water as possible. The resulting slop had not taken long to digest.

Clutching her growling stomach, she glanced at Riftan’s back. Surely he was much hungrier than she was. In her estimation, they had spent around two or three days in the cave. The only things he had consumed in that time were water and a meager portion of porridge. Despite that, his legs showed no sign of exhaustion as they plowed through the snow.

His tenacity moved her both with awe and pity. It made her realize he might have lived a much harsher life than she had ever imagined.

Didn’t he say he had once starved for a fortnight?

Such impoverishment would not have been possible after his knighthood. Even knights of low rank led wealthier lives than most common folk. So, was he referring to the time before?

…

She felt the urge to ask him to tell her everything about his past. While he knew everything about her, she knew very little about him. Though she was well-versed in his fame and accomplishments, all she knew about his life during his mercenary days and beyond were fragmented stories she had heard from Ruth. Moreover, he had never told her exactly when he had started to harbor feelings for her. It all seemed so unfair.

However unintentional, the fact remained that he knew Maximilian Calypse inside out. After their reunion, she had endeavored to show him how she felt. Riftan, however, only showed emotions that were convenient to him.

She fought the urge to grab him and force a confession of his innermost thoughts. It was neither the time nor the place. Pushing the swirling thoughts from her mind, she concentrated on moving through the snow. The biting cold penetrated her thick socks with each step, and the freezing air needled her numb nose and mouth.

Covering her face with gloved hands, she scanned their path. To their left was a steep rock face that seemed to continue on forever. A gentle hill shimmered with snow to their right, its crest shrouded in thick mist. Though it was difficult to see, an obscure shadow seemed to loom within. Maxi surmised it was a mountain or another rock face beyond.

They were stuck in a labyrinth of snow, ice, and rock. She stared across the desolate landscape with faraway eyes. Suddenly, Riftan pulled her to him and drew his sword.

“Be ready to cast a barrier. Something’s coming this way.”

Maxi flinched and looked up. Indeed, something was hurtling down toward them in a flurry of snow. Riftan was about to swing his sword when Maxi hastily stopped him.

“W-Wait, don’t hurt it! It’s a fairy!”